You probably came here looking for ideas, not questions, but that question matters. In a hectic, connected world, you’ll find good questions help to cut through the noise and move everything forward. More of that later. You are probably busy, so I’ll cut to the chase.

The Exploration Habit shows you and your teams how to thrive and make a difference when you need to operate in unfamiliar ways to be successful. Whether you see it in those terms, or use more familiar labels like innovation or change, it’s about you wanting a new and more useful way to tackle something that matters to you.

In that case, you’re in the right place.

The need for new success strategies often creeps up on us. We get successful, we achieve things, and then one day taking the next step is just messier and more complicated than you expected. Technology is useful, but doesn’t solve everything; the boundaries of your function or business are fuzzy, and you have to deal with a fluid set of people and opinions to get anything done.

You need a new option; something simpler and more effective, which helps you get people aligned and agile in a world of movement and noise.

Introducing The Exploration Habit

I’m Alan Arnett, founder of The Exploration Habit Ltd. As I said, we show you more effective ways for you and your teams to thrive and make a difference when you need to operate in unfamiliar ways. We do that by answering three key questions:

How do I expand my capacity to stay clear and creative when it counts?

How do I build stronger alignment with people who matter?

How do I find simpler, useful ways to innovate and change what matters?

The philosophy

These core beliefs ground what we do, for ourselves and with clients.

React less – notice more
Smart people know a lot. But these days it’s not just what you know – it’s how you pay attention and stay resourceful when things get messy.

Assume less – inquire more.
In messy situations, solutions are uncertain and people disagree.
Curiosity is the key to dealing creatively with both.

Hold less – move moreIf you only practice what you already know, you constrain what’s possible. So relax old habits and experiment a lot.

Solutions that work

The solutions we create are rooted in decades of experience and research, our own and other people’s. We like to think of ourselves as ‘relentlessly curious in pursuit of what works’.

We’ve developed solutions that work at BT, BP, PwC, XL Group and many other organisations. We’ve helped leaders and teams create new services, simplify processes, improve sales, start new businesses, merge companies, raise performance, and increase their impact in an increasingly messy world.

Contact us

Make it work for you

Before committing to using The Exploration Habit, check these conditions so you know it’s a good fit:

You are an influential person with regard to the situation you want to affect – whether that’s a whole business, a team, or just yourself.

You have a personal investment in changing things for the better – it matters to you to find new ways to succeed.

You are willing to invest a short time to chat over a cup or two of coffee, sample the approach and discover how it works for you.

You’ll take away at least one thing you can use straight away, and if you like what you find, we can explore more conversations, more tangible results and more skill building.

Let’s get started. Drop me a message. Tell me something about your situation. Tell me when you are free to talk. And I’ll show you how The Exploration Habit can help.

Latest Updates

That photo

People have asked me where I got that photo I use at the top of my site. It’s not mine – it was taken by someone called Roger Mosley and you can get your own copy here. If you do download it, please make sure you pay something using the ‘coffee’ button. The site says… Read More

What is a ‘professional’?

It occurred to me recently that almost all of my clients fall into the category of ‘professional’ in some way. Technologists, consultants, underwriters, designers, communicators, engineers, accountants, lawyers – it’s a varied list but they are pretty much all professionals. It’s unsurprising given my background, but that label is an advantage and a problem. Many… Read More

Empathy key to leadership

Interesting piece here regarding the EQ Summit in London recently. With all the discussion on EQ from the theory/measure side of things, it’s good to see some practical advice. Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch is quoted as saying “A lot of the old skills of leadership aren’t fit for the future. The idea that I can… Read More

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‘Legal’ stuff

You probably know this already, but just to be clear. The views stated on this site are my own and no-one else's. Even when I reference other people and their books and models, what I'm writing is my interpretation of their thinking, and if you'd like to know more I'd encourage everyone to check out the original sources. And, for completeness sake, I've worked for a lot of organisations over the years, either as an employee or as a consultant. This blog is not a reference to, or a reflection on, any of them, past, present or future. It's just me thinking out loud :-)